This invention relates to an anti-rust cover for a disc rotor of a vehicle brake.
As the disc rotor is normally made of cast iron, it is liable to produce rust. Particularly when a complete vehicle for exportation abroad is placed in the neighborhood of a pier while waiting for loading in an ocean going steamer, it is usually exposed to air containing salt. In the meantime the disc rotor is often subjected to salty sea wind to produce rust on it. The rust produced on the rotor induces a speedy wearing of the friction pads and a decrease of friction coefficient, leading to a problem of deterioration of braking effect.
For preventing the rust of this kind coating of some anti-rusting material on the surface of the rotor is thought of. The coating of the anti-rusting material is apt to cause a deterioration of the braking effect due to a decrease of friction coefficient. So the remnant anti-rusting material on the rotor after the delivery of a vehicle to a customer contains a dangerous problem. When the anti-rusting material is scraped off the rotor prior to the delivery the rust producing problem remains unsolved. For such reasons the coating of the anti-rusting material is generally regarded as impracticable.
As an effective step, instead of the coating of the anti-rusting material, an anti-rust cover has been widely practiced in order to physically protect the rotor, in cooperation with a dust cover which covers the inner side of the rotor (nearer side to the center of the vehicle chassis), in such a manner that the anti-rust cover is removably attached at its outer periphery to the outer periphery of the dust cover to completely envelop the rotor by covering the same from the outer side thereof. Such an anti-rust cover removably attached to the dust cover to protect the rotor from outside functions to prevent the salty sea wind from ingressing into the coverage, being effective in rust prevention of the rotor.
Such an anti-rust cover is by no means of permanent use, but of temporary purpose used only while the vehicle is in an ocean going transportation route, i.e., anti-rusting of the rotor until the vehicle be delivered to the customer. It must be therefore removed from the vehicle immediately before the delivery. It is not such an easy job as it appears to remove the anti-rust cover from the vehicle, because it is confined within the wheel disc sandwiched between the rotor and the wheel disc, where the space is very narrow filled with several deterrent parts. The operator has to reach hand into this narrow space under the floor of the vehicle or work lying on his back beneath the vehicle in order to remove the anti-rust cover. If the vehicle is delivered with the anti-rust cover unremoved, the rotor may be overheated during the running of the vehicle and sometimes may cause a fire or a deterioration of braking force. So the anti-rust cover must be removed by all means prior to the delivery.